BLESSED (Psalm 112)

God has always designed it so that what brings Him the greatest glory also brings us the greatest good. From the very beginning, the Lord desired to be lifted up and magnified while at the same time blessing us.

Psalm 112 reveals that truth about God’s relationship with man.

Verse 1: “Praise ye the Lord. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.”

Do you hear it? Praise goes to the Lord, and blessing goes to the man.

The credit for any good thing in our lives must go to God alone. We are all sinners. Yet we understand that as God is exalted, as praise is lifted up, it is evidence that the blessing of the Lord rests on that man’s life.

Psalm 112 is a twin to Psalm 111. Both are 10 verses long and if you read and compare them side by side, you will see a number of parallel statements. Even in their format, they parallel one another. In the Hebrew language of the psalmist’s day they are what is referred to as “Alphabetic Psalms.” Each clause in each of these psalms began with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet, like an acrostic. In Psalm 119, we see that in an even more elaborate form.

But in Psalm 112, the writer goes from A to Z, or from beginning to end, talking about how great God is and how good a life given to Him is. It really brings attention to the life of the man who has God in His rightful place. As verse 1 shows us, it is a blessed life.

Interestingly, you may recall that Psalm 1 begins with the words, “Blessed is the man.” This psalm is simply continuing that theme.

Commentary of a Blessed Man

This psalm is rich. First of all, we are given a commentary or description of this blessed man. What does God say about him?

He fears the Lord

God connects blessing to the right kind of fear — not the fear of man or of trouble, but of Him. It is about having God in His rightful place. When you have the fear of the Lord, you can be sure that you will have the blessing of the Lord.

He delights in the Lord

The psalmist shows us not only what this blessed man fears but what he loves. This righteous fear and holy love are connected. When you fear God, you love what He loves and hate what He hates.

Verses 2-4: “His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed.Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever. Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.”

This commentary on the blessed man goes deep into the man's heart, to his character and his nature. He is described as gracious, full of compassion, and righteous.

In Psalm 111, these three things describe God. Now, they describe His servant. This blessed man has grown so close to God that the Lord’s nature is being developed in him.

Is that true in your life? Do people see God in you?

Verse 5: “A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion.”

The psalmist is saying that this man is not only rightly related to God but also to others. He is willing to help the poor and needy, not indiscriminately but with discretion. There is wisdom about him.

Verses 6-7: “Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.”

Verse 7 is one we should all memorize. When the news is bad, and things get tough, this man has no reason to be afraid because of his trust in God. There is an anchor in his life that keeps him from drifting and tossed about when the storm comes. That anchor is his faith and trust in the Lord.

If you don’t want to live by fear, then you must live by faith. Would you like a fixed heart in a turbulent world? Then, put your faith in God.

Verses 8-9: “His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies. He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour.”

He is Given Comfort

After the commentary, we notice the comfort that God gives this man. In verse 2, it is that his children will be blessed. In verse 3, it is that God will care for his material needs. In verse 4, it is that God sends light in the midst of darkness. In verses 6-8, it is that he will not be moved.

In a constantly shifting and changing world with uncertain times, it would be nice to have a stable life that is so rooted and fixed in God. There are people who I know are never going to change, not because they are stubborn but because they are connected to the God who never changes.

He Contrasts with Evil

The psalm closes with a contrast. Verse 10: “The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away: the desire of the wicked shall perish.”

The blessed man is going to endure, as we have seen from the many descriptive terms used in earlier verses. The wicked man, on the other hand, will soon be gone.

I am reminded of I John 2:17. “And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”

How would you like to be remembered? How would you like to be known by God and others? As a blessed man or a wicked man?

Let me testify for a moment. Without a doubt, I want the blessing of the Lord. My desire is to receive all that He has for me and give back all of the praise He is worthy of. I want to be the man who “shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord.”

Will you pray today that God makes you that person? Don’t pray first to be blessed; pray first to be in the place of blessing. Ask God to make you this person, and when you become that, you will know the blessing of the Lord.